TRON: Legacy (2010)

A science fiction movie made by Disney seems interesting enough especially when it's live-action and targeted for kids (Disney targets its movies for kids, right?). And there it is, "Tron: Legacy", a science fiction movie, Disney science fiction movie, live-action and targeted for kids. And yet, 3D.

"Tron: Legacy" is actually a sequel to the 1982 revolutionary film, "Tron" and marks the directorial debut of Joseph Kosinski. "Legacy" sets Kevin's son, Sam Flynn, 27 years in age as the main character who gets a message from Kevin (or so it is) from the world of Tron. He then goes to Flynn's arcade, enters some sort of mysterious room and plays with a computer which digitized him and entered him to the world of Tron. Then, he fights with other programs trying to find his father, Kevin Flynn who disappeared years ago. On the way, he meets Quorra, some cool machines and of course, Clu (Kevin's program).

I watched "Legacy" and found it to be really good. The rendering of the world of Tron was really breathtaking and got me in awe. All of the world is definitely going to make "Tron: Legacy" one hell of a blockbuster film and surely, one of the best films on the year 2010.

The acting had no problem. Jeff Bridges, after all those years since the first film is still fresh as ever. Garrett Hedlund was also not a problem in the film. Olivia Wilde as Quorra was stunning. The acting was definitely perfect. Everything.

The 3D effects. This was one funny thing. In the beginning of the film, it was noted that some parts of the film were in 2D and some were in 3D and you were asked to not take your 3D glasses off. I did broke the rule several times and saw something unique. Parts that were set in the real world, not in the world of Tron were displayed in 2D and parts that were set in the world of Tron were displayed in 3D. Anyways, the 3D worked pretty well. The Lightcycles in the film and all the things in the world of Tron, displayed in 3D were awesome.

The score of the film was also exciting. (The soundtrack was also great as it reached number 10 on the Billboard 200.) It was very awesome and thrilling with all the bass and everything.

Overall, "Tron: Legacy" is worth to watch. 3D works pretty fine in watching this film. Young kids would not really like this but maybe aged 8 and above would do. I believe this is the best film for December 2010 and is a good way to end blockbuster movies of 2010. Great job, Kosinski.

Prince AJB's Score: 85%

Thank you for reading my review on "Tron: Legacy" and hope it's useful.

Fmovies: Right off the bat I'm going to say that I didn't see the first film. Obviously I've heard from a lot of people saying that they need to see the first film before watching this one, seeing as this is a direct sequel to a nearly 30 year old cult sci-fi film. But, seeing that I didn't have time, I decided to watch the sequel anyway.

Now keep in mind that Disney took a HUGE risk in making a sequel to a movie that is not very often talked about when it comes to movies as opposed to many blockbusters today. The first TRON had no famous franchise to speak of (apart from the real games inspired by it). Adding to the danger is the film's budget - reportedly between US$ 200 - 300 million. With that kind of money you'll wonder what exactly was Disney hoping for with this film.

Nevermind the fact that the story is a bit unfocused and could be rounded up in a more polished way. Nevermind too that the fantastic world and great ideas aren't expanded upon some more, as well as the fact that the script could use a little bit more originality.

Also, not forgetting some good (in Jeff Bridges' case, great as always as he plays two very different characters with perfect emotional resonance - proving that he still has the chops to carry a big movie) performances by the cast - with Garrett Hedlund showing great leading man potential and Olivia Wilde looking great and cute to boot. Michael Sheen, Beau Garrett and Bruce Boxleitner (apparently returning to his role from the first film, so it seems) all give good support.

No sir-ee, what you pay for - and what you get in spades - are the special/visual effects. Goodness me, this is quite possibly the best special effects I've seen all year, and that's saying something. I have to admit though, the CGI that makes Jeff Bridges young look jarring, but that is overshadowed by the compelling, groundbreaking special/visual effects that really bring you into the cybernetic world. Who doesn't want to take a ride on one of those fantastic, futuristic vehicles? Who doesn't want those awesome light-cycles or one of those dueling/data discs? It is possible that, like "Avatar" a year ago, this film can be a game-changer for special/visual effects alone.

It's a real treat for the eyes, and it's even better in 3D which is splendidly used to flesh out the dimensions and graphics of the cyber world bring you even deeper into the world instead of things merely flying out to you and post-production conversion like in SO many 3D movies (Note that in the 3D version, there's a disclaimer before the film starts, saying that parts of the film are filmed in both natural 2D and 3D as they way they should be. Just so you know, this shows that the filmmakers care for what they want to give you).

Very ambitious architect-and-designer-turned-first-time-filmmaker Joseph Kosinski hit a home run with this film, crafting an extraordinary and spellbinding world of escapism that looks slick, stylish and extremely cool to watch. Kosinski and the production team fill the cyber world with heaps of imagination and the result is what you see on screen. And here I thought Hollywood would recycle certain design patterns (plot patterns still need work though). Kosinski is a truly visionary filmmaker that one really has to keep an eye on.

The production design is on par with the special effects, it is nothing short of spectacular and perfect. The cinematography which is big and wide and best of all NOT shaky allows you to sav

I have never seen the original 'Tron', nor do I really know much about it really. I've only heard the movie referenced on occasion (like that one episode of The Simpsons where Homer's trapped in the Third Dimension and he asks if anybody saw the movie 'Tron', and everyone says "No."). The previews for 'Tron: Legacy' looked visually stunning, and I'm happy to report it does not disappoint in that regard. Everything seen inside "The Grid" is a wonder to behold, a visual feast. But is this the only thing the film has going for it? Well...yes and no. As far as the characters/actors who portray them are concerned...

Garrett Hedlund is good as Sam Flynn. Yes, he has to utter some clunky dialogue along the way and is a bit stiff at times, but he serves the role well enough. At times he reminded me of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker (what with the pulling out of lightsabers...I mean discs, donning of cloaks, etc) - though not half as bad as him.

Jeff Bridges gives a solid performance as Sam's dad, Kevin Flynn. The only thing that detracts from his acting is his digitised clone, Clu. No matter how hard they have tried to create a youthful-looking Jeff Bridges using computer magic, he still looks like a "cartoon" (as someone in the audience put it). While it's annoying, it would have at least been tolerable if it had been limited to just the scenes inside The Grid. However, the movie starts in the the real world with a "young" Kevin Flynn telling his son the story of Tron/The Grid, and you can plainly tell the drastic difference between a real and fake Jeff Bridges. It's so obvious, and very distracting.

Olivia Wilde kicks butt and looks great doing it (in her skintight catsuit with neon highlights and her asymmetrical wig) as the warrior, Quorra. She seems to be having a lot more fun with this role than she does with that of Thirteen on 'House'. Quorra has a slight naivety about her in regards to some things, and displays a sense of childlike wonder on occasion (especially the end), which gives her some depth. Wilde and Hedlund share some good scenes together, and her character at least gets *some* development - which is more than I can say for the albino-like "Siren", Gem (Beau Garrett).

Michael Sheen is memorable as Castor. While he does tend to "ham it up" a bit, it's nonetheless a delightful performance.

Apart from the animation of Young Kevin Flynn, there are a couple of other 'minuses' of the film, like the dialogue (which is oftentimes average) and the fact that the film itself does seem to drag in spots/go on for a bit too long.

However, the visuals *do* almost manage to make up for most of the film's faults (almost). The movie looks stunning - after we get past the kinda boring beginning and are transported along with Sam inside The Grid. Light Cycles, Light Runners, all mode of "Light" transportation make for thrilling action/chase sequences. Then there's the "games", that mostly seem to involve throwing discs - which resemble Xena's round killing thing - at each other, causing those who are hit to "derez" (ie. cease to exist). Another 'plus' for this film is its excellent score. It adds SO much to the movie.

The film is entertaining enough, but probably not the non-stop action some people are expecting/hoping for. If you're looking to kill a couple hours watching something that's

TRON: Legacy fmovies. Great great movie always get chills from the music and when he first uses the bike. Love the atmosphere of Sam Flynn's life and how much love he has for his father at the end of the movie. Fantastic message in the movie where we as people think things are important in our life such as work or possessions but nothing is more important then family 👍.

Kevin Flynn (Bridges) is the CEO of Encom and the world's best video game developer. One night he simply vanishes without a trace and leaves his company in chaos and his young son. Fast-forward 20 years, Sam Flynn (Hedlund) is a rebellious 27 year old and a thorn in the side of Richard Mackey (Nordling), a suit trying to take over his father's company with the help of a software designer (an uncredited cameo from Cillian Murphy). Though Sam is the heir, he refuses to play an active role in the decision-making process. Alan Bradley (Boxleitner) meets him one night with the news that he has received a page from Kevin Flynn's arcade - a number that has been disconnected for 20 years. Thus ensues the inevitable investigation into his father's whereabouts and Sam's transportation into the world his father has created and been trapped in for decades.

Where to begin? Tron: Legacy is a visual feast for your eyes and an auditory pleasure thanks to Daft Punk and Joseph Trapanese. The soundtrack feels ethereal almost and fits perfectly with this new world we have been introduced to for the first time (or the 2nd time if you've seen the 1982 original).

3D, for me, is a recent scourge that has been infecting and affecting the movie industry. Yes, maybe it is a more lucrative avenue for the movie industry after the setback of heavy piracy but enough is enough! Joseph Kosinski, however, had a vision (and an architectural degree behind him) to give us a mouth-opening, simply beautiful world with the correct blend of 2D and 3D! It is quite simply worth it just to go for the visuals.

What the movie makes up for in spectacular imagery, it lacks in storyline. Maybe I should have watched the 1982 version as so many people have pointed out to me but even without it, the plot seems a little disjointed. The underlying connections to the real world are numerous such as The Holocaust, God complexes, evil doppelgangers and more. You are left with more questions than answers as it is never revealed just what it is about this world that would "change everything" in the real world.

Jeff Bridges is great as both the villain and hero and his computer animated self is simply amazing although at the same time off-putting (this might be the Uncanny Valley hypothesis at work). The acting overall is not anything to write home about (no Oscar winners here) but Hedlund as Sam Flynn holds his own against a more charismatic Jeff Bridges. Quorra (Wilde) provides a potential love interest and the key to changing our world and a doe-eyed innocent view of life that is endearing.

This is a movie that should be simply taken for what it is, a pandering to the original fan base whilst garnering new ones, one not to be over- analysed but simply to be marvelled at with a group of friends. The actions scenes are just jaw-dropping with light cycles (that I wish I owned!) and deadly Frisbees amongst other things. Disney took a risk to continue a series almost 3 decades later rather than going for the easy option of re-imagining it. A wise move.

Everything about this film works. The visuals, writing, acting, everything. There are very few wrong things I can find with Tron, especially the soundtrack which is timeless even almost a decade later. I still remember watching this film in theaters and not regretting it at all. I highly recommend this film for fans of anything quality.

From the pacing to the cinematography this film is astoundingly well made, and truly deserves more recognition. It is timeless in every meaning of the word.